Misery is he whom, like a shadow,
A dog’s barking frightens, the wind cuts down.
In these concluding lines, the narrator describes a particular type of individual, one who is similar to a shadow. The narrator likens this person to—or rather suggests that they personify—misery. To the narrator, any person who is frightened by a dog’s bark or who is so flimsy that they could be “cut down” by the wind is the definition of misery. The comparison to a shadow is suggestive that such individuals are so weak that they can be blown over or pushed through with little effort. In this way, the narrator compares those that are miserable to weakness.
When the dear artist draws until
The firm gaze holds what he wrought,
For that moment aware of his skill,
And sad death forgot.
In this stanza, which concludes the poem, the narrator refers to his skill as an artist and the artistic works he has created. The narrator describes a particular work of art that he is crafting at the moment. As he works, the narrator begins to notice and recognize his skill in his masterpiece. He describes a “glaze,” which solidifies and makes permanent the image he has created. After the glaze has been applied and he looks at his finished work, the narrator realizes the extent of his skill. In that moment, as he admires his work and apparent skill, the narrator is so overwhelmed and proud that he forgets completely about the onslaught of death.
My age, my beast, is there anyone
Who can peer into your eyes […]
In these opening lines, the narrator immediately confronts and addresses his age. He compares his age to a beast, which sets the tone and atmosphere for the remainder of the poem and helps the reader to understand the narrator’s relationship with his age. In these lines, the narrator ponders his age is puzzled by its numerical value. He wonders how anyone can ever truly fathom all that age holds. He wonders how anyone can “peer into” the beast’s eyes and face the realities that come with older age. In this way, the narrator is suggesting that he is frightened of his age—which, perhaps, suggests an inherent fear of aging, dying, and death.
Alone I stare into the frost’s white face.
It’s going nowhere, and I—from nowhere.
Here, the narrator compares himself and his travels to the white snow that lays on the ground. The narrator suggests that, as it is inanimate and lifeless, the snow has no destination, nor previous path. Like the snow, the narrator does not have a destination. He also intimates that he does not come from any specific location. He is a wary wanderer, floating from location to location. Snow is similar, in that it also flits from location to location, with no specific destination in mind. The narrator might also subtly be suggesting that, like each individual snowflake, he is cold and lonely. Here, these opening lines of the poem set the rather bleak tone for the remainder of the poem.
